Business
The spirit of entrepreneurship is thriving just across the border, Jean-Pierre Masseret, president of the Lorraine regional counsel, said during a recent paperJam Business Club event. His speech was followed by presentations from Lorrainianes sharing their start-up experiences. www.paperjam.lu
SECOND TRACK
The railway between Luxembourg and Trier will be renovated over the next two years. The single track connection has long been a sore point for commuters and logistics firms. The €19 million project will add a second track and allow tilting trains, with train speeds increasing from 120 to 160 km/h. www.deutschebahn.com
Chamber Guide
The chambers of commerce in Luxembourg and Belgium released the second edition of a guide to the network of 28 Belgian-Luxembourg Chambers of Commerce worldwide. The objective is to promote the interests of businesses from Luxembourg and Belgium and encourage international development. www.cc.lu
Saarland exports risE
Exports from Saarland have risen by 16% to reach €13 billion, with France as the most important trading partner. Saarland’s industrial base was the main factor for the strong exports. Growth prospects of 2.5-3% per year are predicted for the German state until the end of the decade. www.saarland.ihk.de
Redevelopment
FROM COAL TO SCIENCE
Saarland will shutter the last of its coal mines next summer. How prepared is the German state for the loss of 3,300 jobs?
Coal mining has a 250 year history in Saarland, but under an EU agreement its last operating mine will close down July 1, 2012. The German state is working with mining company RAG on a redevelopment plan that government leaders hope will bolster employment, the environment and Saarland’s image. For years the industry--which still employs about 3,300 miners--has only survived off subsidies from Germany’s federal government, explains Joachim Kiefaber, Saarland’s state secretary for economy. But Brussels says that must end by 2018. Legally speaking RAG and the state government only are required to mitigate environmental damage from the mine closures, he says. “But we thought this would not be enough.” All of the land under redevelopment consideration is still owned by RAG. Today the firm is inventorying the sites, which in total cover 2,500 hectares and 800 buildings, some of which will likely be covered by preservation orders. RAG is expected to tell the Saarland government before the end of this June which parcels of land it aims to redevelop itself, and how, and specify which properties it would like to transfer to the state. Saarland’s government will then present its final blueprint mid2012. “We plan to end the planning by the time we have the last shift at the last remaining mine.” In the mean time, Kiefaber chairs the four pilot projects in progress to demonstrate the viability of the redevelop-
Olivier Minaire
Luc Deflorenne
Lorraine entrepreneurs
Joachim Kiefaber: green energy and IT parks are Saarland’s future
ing scheme. These include converting the waste heaps at Louisenthal into a renewable energy park that will house solar, wind and pumped-storage hydroelectric farms, and a commercial centre near Schwalbach, which the state secretary hopes will be finished in a years’ time. Kiefaber also hopes the redevelopment project will burnish Saarland’s brand. He says in recent years the state has had success attracting manufacturing, IT and research activities, because Saarland’s relatively small size means people have “quick access to decision makers” and simplified bureaucracy. Yet “the image of Saarland is still far away. People think of smoke, dirt and pollution. And this is gone.” Kiefaber cites the transformation of Liverpool: the once grubby city is now “completely different. But it takes some years to get away from this image.” AG
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31.03.2011 10:04:08 Uhr